Chapter 413
Succubus Emma
Whether it was Avalon, Star Antinomy, or Iris Flower, they generally did not capture spies immediately after finding them. Instead, they would follow the lead, attempting to gather more evidence, or even control the information the spy sent back.
When a spy operating overseas was captured, they would immediately apprehend spies already under surveillance and use them for hostage exchanges. Spies were obligated to maintain secrecy during interrogation, and the organizations behind them were obligated to ransom back captured spies.
Usually, such exchanges were one-for-one, but if a significant spy was captured, they could demand two or even three for one.
However, Sherlock’s decision to keep Watson wasn’t due to their personal relationship.
It was because of another very important matter, one known to the Queen.
Dr. Watson was a royalist of the Daffodil Duchy. The Daffodil Duchy had a decent relationship with Avalon, and their royalist faction was one that Avalon relatively supported. This was also why Iris Flower adopted the “Blood Stopping Operation” towards Avalon.
In other words, Dr. Watson’s son, Andre, was effectively a double agent.
When Dr. Watson sent Andre to the “Secret Chamber” back then, he pulled some strings. Andre’s immediate assignment to Avalon was also planned by his father, Dr. Watson. This allowed him to conveniently send information to the Daffodil Duchy from Avalon without being easily discovered by people from the “Secret Chamber”.
But in recent years, the political atmosphere in Star Antinomy had gradually become tense. Recently, Alchemists and Demon Scholars had directly clashed, even engaging in murder in the streets. The superior who had been looking after Andre had now been expelled from the “Secret Chamber” due to political struggles.
Under these circumstances, sending Andre back to Star Antinomy would be akin to killing him, as he would likely fail a lie detector test. Although Detective Watson was confident, he himself had not passed Avalon’s tests.
Andre had always believed that his father’s “spell” protected him from detection.
But in reality, there was no such thing. Or rather, that spell was “connections” and “benefits.”
Because Watson’s intelligence-gathering activities were too conspicuous and reckless, the Inspection Department had already locked onto him. Any information that Detective Watson sent back would be intercepted by the Inspection Department midway. Only after confirming it was not problematic would it be forwarded.
Each activation of an espionage channel increased the risk of exposure and incurred enormous costs. Therefore, unless the intelligence was particularly crucial, the amount of information sent back at once could not be too large.
As a result, the “Secret Chamber” trained spies to integrate and analyze their observations, striving to discern the signs of major events from data and details, and then sending back consolidated inferences. Since many spies were dispatched simultaneously, there was no need to worry about biased information. Multiple inferences gathered from various angles and perspectives often allowed them to pinpoint the fuller picture of events.
Among all the spies from the “Secret Chamber,” Detective Watson’s conclusions were often the most outlandish. Yet, the Inspection Department would deliberately tailor his bizarre deductions, akin to a second-rate detective novel, and find ways to turn Watson’s fabricated intelligence into actual intelligence.
Precisely because of this…
It could be said that Detective Watson remained in Star Antinomy and continued to utilize resources from there, despite sending back so much garbage and erroneous intelligence, thanks to the diligent protection of the people of Avalon.
Sherlock had investigated “Professor Moriarty” and “Lloyd Society” through Watson’s channels at the time. Because their relationship was quite good, Sherlock obtained the information without much difficulty. If he had investigated through normal channels, Sherlock would have discovered nothing. Given Professor Moriarty’s status, the fact that Sherlock was investigating him would likely have been sent to Moriarty Manor the moment Sherlock began his inquiry.
Such “collaborators,” whose status was neither fully legitimate nor entirely illicit, with whom one could exchange words but not be considered friends, were Sherlock’s source of information. As the saying goes, even the cleverest cook cannot prepare a meal without ingredients. Without sufficient intelligence, even an excellent detective would struggle to deduce the truth of a matter.
…However, Watson was actually able to investigate Eagle Cape Village. Sherlock realized he had underestimated him.
“There’s one more thing, Detective Watson.”
Little Sherlock, holding his newly acquired cane, prodded him unceremoniously. Watson’s survival now largely depended on him; in a sense, the title of godfather would not be undue. Therefore, Sherlock showed him no courtesy.
“…Please do tell.”
Watson did not quite understand why this short stature was so assertive, but he keenly sensed Sherlock’s attitude and confidence. Hence, he adopted a very deferential stance towards this child-like “newsboy with a cane.”
“Why did you come to Eagle Cape Village? Why did you think Sherlock was in Eagle Cape Village?”
Sherlock’s sharp question followed. He had come to Eagle Cape Village with Eivass after he had regressed in age. This meant that if Watson had been tracking him through normal channels, he should not have known he was in Eagle Cape Village. Yet, he did not know that he was Sherlock Hermes. Sherlock needed to ascertain if he had overlooked something, or if someone who knew this fact had leaked it.
But Watson’s response completely exceeded Sherlock’s expectations: “I wasn’t tracking Mr. Hermes here.”
“Oh?”
“I came here following Eivass Moriarty,” Watson replied solemnly. “He had disappeared here for a period before. After returning, he caused many major incidents on Glass Island… I believe this place is a key.”
—Princess Isabel had essentially become ruthless after Eivass’s return from here. If “Eivass’s return” signified a significant change, then since he could not approach Eivass, nor dared to, he could only try to investigate Eivass’s past experiences indirectly.
He had already transmitted intelligence about the “possibility of Avalon allying with Iris Flower and going to war with Star Antinomy” back to the Mage Tower, but had not yet sent it to Star Antinomy. This was because he was still hesitant. If this intelligence were sent back, it would likely have enormous repercussions. Thus, he harbored the thought of “hoping this doesn’t happen,” seeking evidence that would allow him to abandon this conjecture.
“Major incidents?” Sherlock raised an eyebrow. “What major incidents?”
Watson hesitated for a moment, but a strange impulse and trust in the child before him caused him to voice his conjecture without reservation—after all, it was merely a guess without any evidence: “I speculate that Avalon, under the influence of the Great Duke Eivass Moriarty, may proactively declare war on Star Antinomy!”
“…Huh?” Sherlock was taken aback. He felt Watson’s logic was fragmented and incomprehensible. Helplessly, he tapped Watson’s knee, signaling him to get up. “Let’s head back to Glass Island first, Mr. Watson. There’s nothing here. If you’re concerned about what he did here, I can tell you on the way. Also, if you’re looking for dirt on Eivass, you’ll likely be disappointed. He did appear here—but he was in a fierce battle with the leader of Noble Red. This is not a secret, and I can guarantee it’s 100% true, Mr. Watson. Feel free to record all of it in your ridiculous novel.” Little Sherlock said calmly.
Meanwhile.
On a luxurious cruise ship in the port district, a buxom and beautiful woman disembarked. She wore an elegant goose-yellow gown. The dress had small black spots like butterflies, but from a distance, these butterflies resembled eyes. Her skin was as fair as snow, and her chest was of astonishing proportions—a sweet and soft fullness, like a cake. What made her even more striking were her platinum-blonde curly long hair and her tender, affectionate pink pupils. As soon as she landed, people screamed in welcome. They held up signs bearing the name “Emma,” rushing through the crowd. Some whispered in surprise, “Who is Emma?”, nearly being beaten by their enraged fans. But before any scuffle could break out, arbiters clad in shimmering silver armor arrived on the scene, maintaining order and stopping the fight. Arbiters arrived one after another, nodding respectfully towards Madam Emma. Emma simply offered a magnanimous smile and waved to the crowd, eliciting even louder cheers. Watching the crowd jostle, curse, and even fight to get closer to her, she narrowed her eyes slightly, revealing a delightful and captivating sweet smile. The sigh, brimming with desire, gradually permeated the entire port area with her breath. The knights from the Arbitration Hall, seemingly maintaining order, had already discreetly surrounded the entire port area, watching each other with tension and solemnity.
—Even without intelligence from the Inspection Department, without the eyes of the Gryphons. When the people of Glass Island smelled the cloyingly sweet, illusionary, and agitating aroma in the air, they knew… One of Star Antinomy’s top Fifth Tier powerhouses, one of the leaders of the Demon Scholars, Countess Emma, the current First Secretary of Red Phase—had openly and squarely arrived in Avalon. She came in the name of peace.
Update complete!
(End of this chapter)
